Zhang's non-chronological meanderings through his family history to the audience of an unborn son left me confused at times as a non-native Chinese speaker and appreciative of the trials those who followed the KMT to Taiwan faced. His choice to blend myth, story, and family history together leaves the reader feeling as though Zhang himself doesn't know quite sure how to deal with the reality of his family's situation. There was a lot here and I will have to think on it some more.